Unit 10 Case Study on Professional Ethics Purpose of Assignment: To deal with an ethical issue is to be able to confront situations that you may face in your jobs which conflict with the profession's code of ethical behavior. This exercise is designed to better prepare you to recognize and subsequently respond to ethically questionable situations in a professional, timely and ethical manner. You will be given a situation which requires you to make an ethical judgment. To complete this assignment, you will need to use each of the writing strategies (writing to describe, convince, document and evaluate) you learned in earlier writing assignments. You will also need to use-the BC SP Code of Ethics (see below). Specifically, you are to identify the ethical code being violated, describe how it is being violated, and create an alternative course of action that is ethically sound. Next, you should convince the person giving the unethical command (or suggestion) to rescind the command and adopt your suggested course of action. What follows is the case background: You just graduated from the Harvard Safety Sciences Program in August of 2020 and were immediately hired by ABC Fabrication which is a division of a large Fortune 500 company. In 2019 the OSHA Total Recordable Rate for the plant was 8.5 which is above the national average for your SIC Code and 15% higher than the corporate average. The President of ABC Fabrication has been told from the corporate office that this rate must be reduced by 15% this year. In addition, your manager, the Human Resources Director, has made this one of your performance goals for the year. In January of 2021 there were three accidents and each were minor back strains from manual material handling. The Human Resources Director has discovered that these injuries, although minor, had to be recorded because the occupational physician provided the injured workers Motrin at a prescription strength. The Human Resources Director has asked you to call the Physician and have the prescription changed so it is not at prescription strength. He also wants a formal policy/procedure developed with the Occupational Physician that prescription strength medications will be used only if absolutely necessary for treatment; otherwise, only non-prescription dosages should be prescribed. Once this is done he wants you to remove these cases from the OSHA Log so the overall recordable rate for the month will be lower. Explain the specific steps and actions you will take in this scenario. Consider that in the "real world" you may have only 24 hours or less to form an ethical course of action and response to your manager. Board of Certified Safety Professionals CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT This code sets forth the code of ethics and professional standards to be observed by holders of documents of certification conferred by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. Certificants shall, in their professional safety activities, sustain and advance the integrity, honor, and prestige of the safety profession by adherence to these standards. Standards 1. HOLD paramount the safety and health of people, the protection of the environment and protection of property in the performance of professional duties and exercise their obligation to advise employers, clients, employees, the public, and appropriate authorities of danger and unacceptable risks to people, the environment, or property. 2. BE honest, fair, and impartial; act with responsibility and integrity. Adhere to high standards of ethical conduct with balanced care for the interests of the public, employers, clients, employees, colleagues and the profession. Avoid all conduct or practice that is likely to discredit the profession or deceive the public. 3. ISSUE public statements only in an objective and truthful manner and only when founded upon knowledge of the facts and competence in the subject matter. 4. UNDERTAKE assignments only when qualified by education or experience in the specific technical fields involved. Accept responsibility for their continued professional development by acquiring and maintaining competence through continuing education, experience and professional training. 5. AVOID deceptive acts that falsify or misrepresent their academic or professional qualifications. Not misrepresent or exaggerate their degree of responsibility in or for the subject matter of prior assignments. Presentations incident to the solicitation of employment shall not misrepresent pertinent facts concerning employers, employees, associates, or past accomplishments with the intent and purpose of enhancing their qualifications and their work. 6. CONDUCT their professional relations by the highest standards of integrity and avoid compromise of their professional judgment by conflicts of interest. 7. ACT in a manner free of bias with regard to religion, ethnicity, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability. 8. SEEK opportunities to be of constructive service in civic affairs and work for the advancement of the safety, health and well-being of their community and their profession by sharing their knowledge and skills